29th Aug2017

7 Classic Arcade Games

by James Smith

arcade-games

Arcades hold a special place in the hearts of the people who grew up in the 80s and 90s. These were the places where children could spend hours every day and have a blast competing with their friends in sports games, invading new planets, shooting down asteroids, or just simply watch others playing some of the latest arcade games in awe. And even though many manufacturers are now releasing new line-ups of classic games’ hardware, such as AtGames releasing Atari 2600, Sega Genesis, etc. the arcades had their own unqiue ambience and culture. These are 7 of the classic arcade games that will hit you with nostalgia:

1) Donkey Kong

Donkey Kong is one of oldest and most popular arcade games of all times. It was also the game that introduced Jumpman, who later lead to the creation of widely-known video-game character Mario.

The premise of Donkey Kong was simple- you had to save your girlfriend from an angry King Kong, in multiple stages. However, the variety of obstacles and challenges made it super-fun nonetheless!

2) Pac-Man

When Pac-Man was introduced in 1980, it immediately became a super hit among teens and adults alike. It’s game-design and gameplay are so unique and special, that even today there are several variants of the game on Android and Apple app stores. Fun fact: the game was soon followed by another one that had a female protagonist. It was named Ms. Pac-Man.

3)  Street Fighter II

Street Fighter II was not just a game- it was a revolution. When it hit the arcades for the first time, kids were so amazed by its action-packed content that they would flock around other players and jump and cry in excitement as they punched and kicked each other with their favorite fighters on the screen.

4) Tekken 3

Tekken 3 is one of the relatively-recent arcade games that hit the game-parlors in the late 90s. Although it’s a straight-up fighting game like Street Fighter, King of Fighter, etc. its characters like Paul, Nina, King, etc. had some of the widest range of combos and moves that made it a big hit among the players who were fans of this genre.

4) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT): Turtles in Time

If there is one genre of the arcade games that was always popular, it’s the beat-em-up. TMNT: Turtles in Time is one of the classic beat-em-up games that had highly appealing level designs and responsive controls that made hacking and beating the ninja enemies super fun and exciting. It’s easily one of the most popular entries in the series.

5) Mortal Kombat

Mortal Kombat was the franchise that introduced violence and gore in the realm of video gaming for the first time with its first entry, Mortal Kombat (1982).  It gave the word “fatality” a whole new meaning and due to the extreme fighting and “finishing” moves that it provided it was hailed as one of the most epic fighting games of all time.

6) Galaga

Galaga was a sequel to Galaxian (which itself was incredibly popular at the time) but with some new twists, especially the one that aliens could now capture your ship. Although Galaga was launched in the 80s, it’s still as challenging for many people as it was at that time, which is why it certainly deserves a place on this list.

Conclusion:

Although, many timeless classics are now available on gaming consoles, mobile and desktops I do miss the smoked filled arcades and a pocket full of change!

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